High blood pressure affects about 20 per cent of adults in the UK and is one of the most common risk factors leading to coronary heart disease and stroke - which kill 260,000 people each year. Medical research is needed to reduce the death toll from cardiovascular disease, and a new study, Ascot, will be one of the largest conducted - involving 18,000 patients in seven European countries. The Blood Pressure Unit at Beaumont Hospital is looking for volunteers to join the study in the Dublin area. For an information booklet, phone 01-8092852.
Losing a parent - whether through death, separation or divorce - can lead to similar feelings of grief and bereavement. YABE (Young Adults Beginning Experience), a support group for young adults (17-30) who have experienced parental bereavement, is holding a residential weekend in Greystones, Co Wicklow from September 24th to 26th, costing £40. For further information, contact Una at 01-2804794 or Gearoid at 087-2020895.
Crash dieting reduces mental performance, according to a new UK study. Drastic dieting can impair memory and slow reaction times - not as a result of under-eating but because the psychological stress involved in crash diets means dieters are preoccupied with thoughts of hunger and worries over their body shape. A long-term diet programme was found to have no effect on mental performance, although another study suggested skipping breakfast leads to memory being poorer later in the day. (BBC)
Travellers to Turkey should be vaccinated against hepatitis A, polio and typhoid, says Dr Graham Fry of the Tropical Medical Bureau. Although these vaccinations are already recommended for travellers to Turkey, research shows many holiday makers skip vaccines. Following the earthquake in northern Turkey, infectious diseases such as typhoid are being spread due to a breakdown in sewage disposal and water supplies.
Reducing the amount of salt in your food could delay the onset of osteoporosis, the bone-wasting disease which affects many older women, according to UK researchers. They believe eating too much salt can raise blood pressure, which in turn speeds up the body's loss of calcium. This could lead to osteoporosis. Simple dietary changes, such as eating more potassium-rich fruit and vegetables (which helps to reduce calcium loss) and a reduction in salt intake could reduce blood pressure and delay the onset of osteoporosis. (Lancet)
Replacing the blood plasma in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients suffering from acute attacks helped 40 per cent to improve, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic in the US. Participants in the study had been suffering disabling attacks from MS, which causes the body to attack its own central nervous system, and had failed to respond to traditional anti-inflammatory treatment. Although the lead researcher, Dr Brian Weinshenker, said he was excited about the development, he admitted the reason for the success was unknown.